Obsolescence
by crossmyheart1207
Summary: I was originally given the impossible mission of bringing Uchiha Sasuke back on his own accord. Over the years it seemed to be easier and easier. Finally, I was moments away from achieving my goal... but did I want to? He'd changed. I liked it.
1. Teaser

**A/N: This isn't the official first chapter of the story. Just a teaser for it. Reviews would be appreciated. Does it sound good? Will anybody read it? Thanks~**

_"He took away everything,"_

"_That's not true. He didn't take away me"_

_..._

"You understand what this means, correct?"

"Hai."

"And you're willing to do everything exactly as I said?"

"Hai."

His dark eyes roam over my form, probably looking for some flaw or some reason not to trust me, "And why do you want to do this?"

"It's something…" I pause, thinking of the right wording, "I think needs to be done."

"Good answer."

:[-]:

_"Do you realize what I've done?"_

_..._

The rain falls heavily from the skies, brought on by Sasuke himself. I stand off to the side, admiring him briefly before going over to tend to his wounds. I was there for moral support, he insisted, because I was banned from helping in the fight. He was either going to take his brother's life or die trying.

I respected that. I found it truly idiotic, but I didn't argue with him. He always had a headstrong way about him. It was ugly, unbecoming and idiotic of him, but it was his way, and I respected that.

I respected him, even if I didn't want to. We had… _bonded _you could say in our time training together. We had formed a friendship. It was a privilege. I just prayed he wouldn't kill me like he tried to kill every other person he'd bonded with.

:[-]:

_"Do as you please. It's not my job to stop you."_

_..._

I was quieter than usual, and I was sure he noticed. His sideways glances and slowed steps were signs of his concern. It wasn't like me to sit silently and not ask what I could do for him.

It wasn't like him to get in the way of an attack meant for me. I was disposable to him, a paper doll that did as he pleased until he was sick of it. He'd disposed of all the other members of our team.

The reason I walked in such silence was simple: a nagging question. Why? Why was I still alive? Why was he protecting me instead of putting me in harm's way to protect him? Why was I being treated different than everyone else? Why?

:[-]:

_"I…I've changed my ways,"_

"_Changed your ways? To what?"_

"…_Love,"_

_..._

The gates of the village looked larger than I remembered them looking. The village itself also looked drastically different, but I assumed it was due to the rebuilding. Nothing can be made the same way twice.

He walked confidently ahead of me; acting like going back after all these years was nothing short of expected and that nobody would be surprised. He walked like everyone would applaud him for everything he had done, for how he'd avenged his clan. He walked like he knew it would be okay and that there was nothing to worry about.

I wanted to walk like he walked. I wanted to know that everything would be okay. I wanted to know that I hadn't given up everything all those years ago for nothing. My final goal had been achieved, hadn't it? I'd brought Uchiha Sasuke back to the village on his own accord. So why didn't anything feel right?

:[-]:

_"The last step to fulfilling my dream is up to you,"_

_..._

Although it seemed like everything had changed, nothing had changed. The people were the same, with the same dry senses of humor and superiority complexes. Old routines ruled my life again as I realized that things around here couldn't ever be changed.

I wasn't sure whether to be comforted or afraid. I had changed. Would I still fit in? Would I be able to assimilate back into the culture that once was my whole life? Would I lose everyone a second time? I didn't want to have only him. But I didn't want to have everyone but him.

No matter which way I looked at it, it felt as if I was going to lose.


	2. Chapter 2

The hallways of the hideout were dim, boring and all around unappealing. They were solid and secluding and could easily cause a panic attack to anyone with claustrophobia. They made you feel like you'd never see the light of day or feel the warmth of the sun again.

They no longer bothered me.

It had been years- I forget how many exactly- since I had been sent here from the quiet village of Sunagakure. These barren and depressing hallways had become my home. I woke up to them on a daily basis. I had been wandering them so long I could maneuver through them blindfolded.

They were a comfort.

There were times when I wanted to be away from the warmth of the sun and to feel like the rest of the world couldn't see me. There were times when sitting in these tight, constricted hallways made me feel somewhat at ease.

It was a disturbing thought, really.

Footsteps echoed ahead of me and caught my attention. I made a quick move to duck into the adjacent hallway, seeing as none of them were large enough for two people to pass each other. I recognized the footsteps with ease. Kabuto. No doubt he was on his way to Lord Orochimaru with his next dose of medicine.

"Keiko, is that you?"

I stepped a foot or so out of the shadows, "Hai, Kabuto-san."

I inspected his form slowly. In his hands was a small tray. It held a glass full of water and a small mystery substance next to it. Surely, it was some type of medicine. It looked nearly identical to all the medicines he'd given me in the past.

"How is Lord Orochimaru today?"

Kabuto hesitated, "Better. But he won't last long. We need to get Sasuke prepared."

The look he was giving me alluded to his thoughts. He wanted me to go deliver the news to the young Uchiha.

"I will go speak to him," I spoke confidently.

Kabuto smiled gratefully at me and continued down the narrow hallway, walking slower than usual to ensure that he did not drop Lord Orochimaru's medication. Once his footsteps faded into background noise, I stepped back into the narrow hallway and began the journey to Sasuke's chamber.

The trek to his room was simple for me- he was given the room a few down from mine. Or I was given the one a few down from him. It really was unclear which one of us technically joined Orochimaru's side first. It was also regardless.

Sasuke's door loomed in front of me. I knocked on it twice, knowing that it would instantly give away who was behind the door. Kabuto always knocked three times, Orochimaru once (if he ever came to us), and nobody else was ever really seen around the chambers. I often suspected that they lived elsewhere.

"What is it, Sasaki?" His door was barely open, but his dark eye was clearly visible through the small crack.

I leaned back a little, trying to distance myself from the door, "Orochimaru-san is failing quickly. You will be needed soon."

"Orochimaru can go to hell," He responded flatly.

I stared into his onyx eye. He wasn't angry or upset. He certainly wasn't happy or ecstatic, either. He simply was.

I shrugged, "Your call."

His door shut with a soft noise and I turned and headed back down the hallways. I was restless. Things in the hideout had gotten tense, and I didn't want to sit alone in my room. I needed to be around people. However, I had no desire to be around the people in the base. The Uchiha could hardly be qualified as good company, Lord Orochimaru would not want to be bothered by me, and Kabuto would surely be at Orochimaru-san's side.

With a heavy sigh I headed into the small kitchen. I searched through the cupboards until I found the packets of hot chocolate Kabuto had bought just for me (they were all I would drink when sick). Silently I began to make the hot cocoa, ignoring the sound of Kabuto's steps again.

"Keiko?"

I poured the last of the hot liquid into my mug and turned to face him, "Hai, Kabuto-san,"

"What did Sasuke-kun say?"

I thought back to the Uchiha's words. Surely they were the opposite of what Kabuto wanted to hear. In fact, they were the opposite of what we all wanted to hear. They were words that would cause trouble, which seemed to be Sasuke's forte.

"He wasn't in his room, and he never trains in the same place twice," I stated quietly, sipping at my delicious drink.

The dishes clanked as Kabuto set them on the counter. He stared down at them for a moment before responding, "I don't suppose he'll go along with it easy."

"He doesn't go along with anything easy,"

A small chuckle escaped his lips, "Hm, I suppose that is true,"

I sipped again at my drink, "That boy is trouble,"

"Yes, but he's powerful. And his attitude will be gone once Lord Orochimaru has his body," Kabuto replied in a very knowing manner.

A small smile covered my lips, "We can only hope so,"

Kabuto laughed lightly again while shaking his head. He finally released his grip on the dishes and began to exit. He paused briefly at the door as if to say something, but decided against it and continued on his way out.

Feeling slightly more at ease, I retreated to my room with the hot cocoa. I sat cross-legged on my bed, my long blue hair cascading down my back. The mug warmed both of my hands as I wrapped them tightly around it. Being alone always left me to my thoughts, and it was something I tried to avoid. I hated thinking. I was never sure of my own opinion.

Silence surrounded me, and I focused on the swirls of brown in my hot chocolate, trying to force my mind to stay blank. Soon, however, my thoughts drifted to the raven-haired boy and his looming doom. Kabuto was correct, I assumed. There was no way Sasuke would willingly give up his body. Especially since he had yet to fulfill his revenge against his older brother.

As if on cue, my door was thrown open. I didn't flinch or turn. Just like I always knocked twice, Sasuke always entered without knocking at all.

"Keiko, we need to talk," he droned, the slightest hint of anger in his voice, "Orochimaru needs to die,"


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Reviews are greatly appreciated on this chapter. I feel sort of like I put too much in. But it's a set up chapter and I do like it. I'm just entirely unsure of how I feel about this chapter and I would like to know what everyone else thinks!**

**Also, yes. I referred to something mysterious at the end. Just be patient. It will be explained in the coming chapters, and I assure you, it will be worth it. (At least, I think so. I'm very happy with my idea. :P )**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Sasuke walked into my room, leaving the door wide open. He paced to the back of my room, stopped at the stone wall and then turned and paced back to my open door. He repeated this process a few times before stopping and looking at me.

His anger was evident. It radiated off of him, and I easily picked up on it, "Sasuke, you've said that tons of times."

He shut his dark onyx eyes briefly, "And I've meant it every time."

"But you've never done anything about it," I responded pointedly.

He growled lowly, "I need your help for it!"

I knew at this point that he wasn't about to calm down; he didn't want to. He wanted to think that his plans for revenge against Orochimaru (and Itachi) were going to happen. He wanted to know he had a comrade, no matter how little he deserved to have one.

"What could I do to help your plan along?" I asked, keeping my tone even.

His dark eyes met my light ones in a determined stare, "Distract Kabuto."

"Kabuto? He's not a threat. You can handle him just fine," A small compliment lessened his anger.

My simple task hardly surprised me. Sasuke felt superior to me, he would never request my help in any significant way.

He sucked in a deep breath and began to pace again, "Whether or not I can handle Kabuto, I need to focus only on Orochimaru. I can't have that _weasel_ coming in and trying to interrupt."

"That's all I need to do?" I asked, a small smile playing at my lips, "Distract him? I don't need to harm him or anything?"

"No. Just keep him occupied."

I sighed, noticing my empty mug, but quickly returned my attention to the brooding Uchiha in front of me. "Sounds easy enough."

He paused again, an uncertain expression on his face, "But if I tell you that he needs to be harmed, or anything else, you follow my instruction. Understand?"

"Hai,"

Sasuke nodded approvingly in my direction and headed for the door, but my voice stopped him, "Sasuke-kun?"

"Keiko?"

I turned around on my bed and faced him, "When will this happen?"

He hesitated, "Soon,"

With that single word, he exited my room, still leaving the door open. I quietly followed him out. However, I headed the opposite direction. Entering the kitchen a second time, I set my cup on the counter and turned to leave. I returned to my room, shut my door softly behind me and took residence on my bed.

Silence surrounded me and I slowly started to give into my thoughts. Sasuke needed me to help him kill Orochimaru. That was dangerous, stupid and practically suicidal. But I was going to do it for him. He needed me to do it for him. I needed to do it for my mission. Although they were essentially the same thing.

Sasuke was my mission.

Though I often let the thought of my mission escape my mind. It had been years since it had been assigned to me and, although I was making some progress, I was far from actually achieving my goal. Some days felt like I was making wonderful progress, and the rest of the days it seemed as if I stood on one side of the earth and my goal resided on the opposite side.

Never in my life had I been given a mission that lasted so long. It was tedious, tiresome and entirely insane. I often questioned what caused me to stay. What gave me the hope that I would pull through this and complete my assignment? Certainly Sasuke himself didn't give me that hope. He showed no intention of ever returning to the village, even by force.

Two knocks sounded on my door. I sighed quietly, relieved to be prevented from dwelling further on my thoughts.

"Kabuto-san?"

I turned as the door opened and revealed the aforementioned man. Kabuto stepped lightly into my chamber and looked at me with a slightly sullen look.

"Keiko, Sasuke-kun has returned from training."

I knew that he, once again, wanted me to go deal with the moody teenager. He often insisted that it was because I, too, was a teenager and could relate to him. That was a crock, though. I was aware that it had to do with him fearing Sasuke ever so slightly.

"When will he be needed, Kabuto-san?"

Kabuto looked at the ground, avoiding my gaze, "As soon as you can possibly convince him."

I smiled sadly, "That bad, huh?"

He nodded without looking up from the ground. I sighed inaudibly. Caught in between plans, again. Kabuto needed me to prepare Sasuke for Orochimaru. Sasuke needed me to distract Kabuto so he could kill Orochimaru. As much as I needed to help Sasuke, I didn't want to betray or upset Kabuto either.

"I will do my best to convince him,"

The look Kabuto gave me next unnerved me. It was nearly a look of desperation. I didn't know what he'd do without Orochimaru. Neither did he. He muttered nearly inaudible gratuities and left my room once more, shutting the door behind him.

A sigh escaped my lips. What was I to do? There was no way to please everyone. I rose to my feet and exited my room, turning left and heading toward Sasuke's room. My only logical option was to go along with Sasuke and ignore the trouble I was causing everyone else.

He opened his door, wider than earlier, at the sound of my two knocks. His eyes bore into mine, but he didn't say anything. I motioned slightly towards entering his room and he moved aside. I slid through the small opening and into his room.

Once he shut his door, he faced me, "What is it?"

"Kabuto wanted me to talk to you."

His expression was stern. He was searching me for any signs of betrayal. I'd become more than accustomed to his expressions and weird actions.

"I'm not going to. But you know how he is. Surely he's lurking out there to assure that I'm actually doing it. He's far too protective of Orochimaru." I muttered, sitting and leaning my back against his bed.

Those dark onyx eyes followed my every movement, analyzing and determining my intentions. Of course, he knew me just as well as I knew him. He could tell when I was lying and when I was telling the truth.

"Fair enough. I suppose you'll stay here for awhile to convince him you did talk to me?"

"But of course," I shut my eyes.

I heard him take a seat on his bed and felt it move slightly behind my back, "What will you tell him when you leave?"

"That you refuse. That's what he's expecting to hear."

I couldn't push the image of Kabuto's disappointed face out of my mind. He would become more desperate, then and would possibly resort to using force against Sasuke. This would, of course, only end in him getting hurt and everything turning into a much bigger mess than it had to be.

A slight, nearly inaudible sound escaped Sasuke's lips. It caught my attention immediately and I opened my silver eyes and directed them to his face, which now held a sly smile, "Don't tell him that."

I raised an eyebrow slightly at his words, "Why not?"

"Tell him I accept. Tell him I will be ready to do it whenever needed. It will get me alone with Orochimaru-"

"-And that will be your chance to take him down! Genius, Sasuke-kun!" I finished his thought.

A smug, yet thoroughly content smile controlled his lips, "Looks like this is going to happen sooner than I originally planned. Are you ready?"

"Hai."

"Are you sure?"

"Sasuke-kun, I'm fine. I can handle this. You have the much more difficult task." I replied, shutting my eyes again.

"I'm not worried about myself,"

"I'm not worried about you either."

His eyes roamed my form again, "Do I need to do it?"

"No, Sasuke, I'm fine," I reassured, knowing he wanted to hear me be confident and to believe in my words.

Silence finally surrounded us. My thoughts roamed to the coming task. To how I knew he was going to do _it_, despite the fact that I didn't need him to. Despite the fact that he knew that. He always did it before we did anything big. He does it, I think, for piece of mind. To reassure himself that I'm as okay as we both think I am.

And I never protest.

If he needs to do this in order for him to be confident, he can go ahead and do it. It's a quick, easy way for him to assess my "mental stability" and "emotional strength", as he often explained it.

"Shall I go inform him now, then?" I asked, standing from my spot on his cold floor.

"Yes. And Keiko?"

I stopped on my way to his door, turning to face his mysterious eyes, "Hai, Sasuke-kun?"

"You do exactly as I say,"

"Hai, Sasuke-kun."

I exited his room and began to wander the halls. I was sure Kabuto was hiding here somewhere, and the only way to find him was to be in the open. He would make himself apparent when he wanted to. So, I wandered slowly around the base, waiting for him to step out of his hiding place in the shadows.


	4. Chapter 4

I wandered aimlessly around the base for a while. Kabuto had yet to make himself apparent to me, but that didn't worry me in the least. If there was one thing I was sure of around here, it was the nature and actions of those I spent my daily life with. Kabuto would have to wait a little before revealing himself to me, so as to dispel the thought that perhaps he was watching me, because he didn't think we're aware of that fact yet.

I stopped in my tracks at the feeling of cool air on my cheeks. I stared ahead of me, surprised that I'd led myself to the exit of the hideout. I didn't pay much, or any, attention to my destination; I'd simply been walking. However, going outside did sound like an appealing idea. Night was my favorite time of day to explore the world. It was when nobody else would be out there to explore it with me.

My thoughts wavered for a moment. Perhaps telling Kabuto could wait. The outdoors simply looked appealing. But I knew Sasuke was not a patient person, and for his plan to work correctly, it would have to happen soon. It would be the outdoors that had to wait, not Sasuke.

I sighed and resigned the idea of heading outside to the back of my mind. Turning back towards the main part of the hide-out, I came face to face- nearly nose-to-nose- with Kabuto. He stared down at me sternly.

"Keiko, going outside?"

I shook my head softly, "No, Kabuto-san."

"Then what are you doing over here?" He stepped away from me slightly, but kept his stern glare.

I blinked and responded slowly, "I was looking for you, Kabuto-san. Sasuke agreed!"

Kabuto's glare turned into a blank stare before turning into joy, "H-he did? How did you manage that?"

I stayed silent a moment, trying to think of a believable reason. Something that would make Kabuto even happier than he already seemed to be, "I told him that he didn't have a choice, and that Lord Orochimaru would still help him with his revenge,"

Kabuto's voice returned to stern as he spoke to me, "But he won't,"

I smiled, "Sasuke doesn't need to know that,"

A quiet laugh echoed. Kabuto smiled back at me before turning on his heel and swiftly walking off. He was nearly out of my sight before he paused long enough to give instructions.

"Tomorrow morning, just as the sun's rising, bring Sasuke to Lord Orochimaru's chambers."

"Hai, Kabuto-san,"

Kabuto continued on his way and disappeared into the shadows. A cool breeze blew at my back. It was unseasonably cold, which was nature's signal for change. Mother nature must know what's in store for me.

My silver eyes wandered over to the entrance of the hideout, once again. I couldn't help but think that I would be out there soon. Sasuke and I would have to flee once he followed through on his plan. We'd have to go out in search of Itachi. Everything would change.

As I trekked back to my room, my mind wandered. I wanted to say I was accustomed to change, but that would be a lie. I'd only had to deal with serious change once, and that was when I joined Orochimaru.

Life in the hideout was hard, at first. I had to work to gain the regards of complete strangers, but I succeeded in the end. I trained on a daily basis, usually on my own, but occasionally with Kabuto and Sasuke. I had to work my absolute hardest to impress Sasuke in the beginning. By now, I no longer bothered. I'd gotten him to regard me. I didn't need to work anymore. I didn't _want_ to work anymore.

Despite the requirement for my mission, I didn't particularly want to be close to Sasuke. The benefit to this was that he didn't want to be close to anyone either. We had bonded, it was true. But we didn't make a point to be around each other. We didn't train together. We didn't do anything together unless necessary.

Unless necessary.

That was the important part. I had done countless things- murders- that I wouldn't do on normal terms. I'd done them because Sasuke deemed them necessary. I'd done everything Sasuke had deemed necessary.

I shook my head, realizing I was in front of my door. These thoughts were getting to me. I opened my door and stepped inside. While getting ready for bed, I knew that I was still unsure of my opinion. I also knew that what I thought or felt didn't matter at this point.

I laid down and shut my eyes for bed.

:[-]:-:[-]:-:[-]:-:[-]:

My eyes fluttered open the next morning. I knew by how tired that I was that it was still early. I was too anxious to sleep much. It was a big day. Today I would either take a huge step towards or away from my goal. I just wasn't sure which.

I quickly dressed, pulling Orochimaru's generic outfit over my body. I brushed through my blue hair slowly, wasting time. Knowing that the day was going to involve a lot of action, I braided my hair into two long braids on either side of my head. As I brushed them back behind my shoulders, the curse mark caught my eye in the mirror.

Quickly, I diverted my gaze and headed out of my room. It was one of the sacrifices I had to make in order to achieve my goal. It gave me power, but I hated it.

As I exited my room, a shadowed figured caught my attention down the hallway. I hustled to catch up to the teen, "Sasuke!"

He stopped and turned to look at me, his face completely expressionless.

"At sunrise, you are to go to Orochimaru's chambers."

He stared at me for a minute before turning and heading back out of the hideout, "Hai."

I watched silently as he retreated back into the shadows and disappeared from sight. I wasn't sure what he was doing, but I could only guess it was training or planning. As I began to follow his trail, leaving a great distance between us, I began to think over my plan.

I was told to bring Sasuke to the chambers, so I would be expected to be there as well. Surely Kabuto would be punctual and arrive the second the sun peeked it's head over the horizon. I would have to get there early and wait, just in case Sasuke had anything to say to me. In case he really was going to go through with doing it.

A cool breeze met my cheeks again. I sighed as I headed out of the headquarters and into pure darkness. As I glanced around, it became evident that sunrise wasn't too far off. I had slept longer than I thought. At least I hadn't overslept. I would have been murdered by Sasuke. Or Kabuto. Or both.

I walked out into the darkness and took a seat at the base of one of the nearby trees. I knew better than to train now. If something went wrong, I would be forced to jump in and be back up, and that would require a full amount of energy and chakra.

Instead, I chose to relax, maybe meditate a little. I shut my eyes and focused solely on my breathing. I dispelled any thoughts relating to what we were about to do or the consequences of it from my mind. I couldn't focus on any of that now. There was no way to prevent it or to work on planning more for it. Whatever was about to happen would happen regardless of me dwelling on it.

I did my best to listen to the sound of the wind blowing through the tree leaves and the faint sounds of animals in the distance.

However, it wasn't long before a familiar chakra signature began to approach. I took I a deep breath and continued on with what I was doing, leaving the young Uchiha to do as he pleased.

"Keiko?"

I could hear him still approaching, "Hai, Sasuke?"

The sound of his footsteps came to a stop directly in front of me, "Are you prepared?"

"Hai,"

"Do you know how you'll distract Kabuto?"

I opened my eyes to look at him through the slight darkness, "Hai."

"Good,"

He continued to stand in front of me, and I got the idea that he wanted me to stand up. I placed both of my hands firmly on the ground on either side of me and pushed down, slowly lifting myself to my feet.

Once I stood to my full height, I faced Sasuke. He stood only a few inches taller than me. His onyx eyes bore into mine as he inched closer. My face remained passive.

He continued to lean in closer until I heard a soft whisper, "Close your eyes,"

I did as I was told without hesitation. I knew exactly what was coming. I waited silently and patiently, not bored or anxious. I didn't really feel any sort of emotion. This was old routine for me. It didn't bother me in the least anymore.

The feeling of lips on mine caught my attention for a moment or two before it disappeared.

I waited a moment before opening my eyes, "Good?"

He surveyed my form slowly. I knew what he was looking for; a blush, weak knees, any sign that my emotions betrayed me.

He found none, "Hai."

He turned on his heels and I followed. We walked into the headquarters together. He now fully trusted that I was prepared for this mission and that I would follow through accordingly.

Long ago Sasuke came up with the idea of testing my control of my emotions. He kissed me for the first time years ago, and surveyed me after. He always looked for any sort of reaction from me. When I gave none, he felt secure that I could do as I was told. I was always instructed to close my eyes first. He claimed that it added suspense and would make it harder for me to control or hide my emotions.

"Sasuke-kun?"

We were nearing the entrance of the headquarters, but he paused to listen to me anyways, "Hai?"

"Why do you do that?" I asked calmly, "Even now? I've never once reacted to that. You should know by now that I have full control of my emotions."

"Obsolescence is built into humans in the form of emotions. They break us down and make us weaker than we are, and we're incapable of doing anything about it, even though we must." Sasuke muttered as some incomplete explanation for what he'd just done, "We must try to ignore them and pretend they don't exist. But someday, they catch up with us. They always do."

I paused to look at him. His words seeped into my brain and sat there for a minute, "So… you have to always do this again because there's a chance that my emotions have caught up with me since last time?"

His onyx eyes gave away no hint to whether I was correct or not. He stared down at me for a long moment, taking in my form. He was more likely than not considering my words and determining whether my curiosity was a sign of weakness.

"Exactly. They'll catch up to you eventually. I just want to find out before they compromise anything,"

We locked eyes for another second before I turned my gaze to the ground and nodded. He took in a deep breath.

"Well, we know you're ready. Let's get this over with," He muttered.

He began to walk away. I kept my eyes on his heels as I followed him into the base. The next hour or so would essentially determine our fate. It's all or nothing.

**:[-]:-:[-]:-:[-]:**

**Damn, this one is long. Anyways. After such a long wait, you have been introduced to what "it" is. What do you guys think? Also, I think I may be including some flashbacks in the near future. Thoughts on that? I'm not a huge fan of them myself, but I'm starting to feel like they're necessary.**

**Comments = love. Thank you!**


	5. Chapter 5

**a/n:** Hello! I'm sorry it's been so long since I've last updated! College (apparently) demands a lot of attention and time and has thusly been consuming my life. For those of you who I owe message replies to, I'm sorry! I shall reply to everyone as soon as I have a chance! I'm going to try and update my SasoDei alphabet sometime soon, too. So for now, please enjoy this. and Forgive me for my absence!

**Disclaimer:** I, unfortunately, do not own Naruto. The plotline of this story is only half my own, seeing as I'm _attempting_ to stay _similar_ to the original plotline. The only thing I really completely own would be Keiko.

* * *

Sasuke and I stood next to each other, staring blankly ahead. The door to Orochimaru's chamber resided to my right as I had my back pressed against the wall. Sasuke's arms were crossed over his chest, his signature apathetic look plastered across his features.

The sound of light footsteps quickly filled the corridor and we instantly were alert. I pushed myself off the wall and turned to face the direction of the noise while Sasuke only showed that he heard the noise by turning his eyes in the general direct. A moment later, Kabuto emerged from the shadows.

"I see you both made it," He said, tone controlled.

"Hn," Sasuke turned his attention elsewhere.

I smiled up at Kabuto, "Hai!"

Kabuto's gaze lingered on Sasuke for a moment, his eyes narrowing at the teenager. A soft sigh escaped his lips as he turned his attention back to me and nodded in slight acknowledgement of what I'd managed to do. I didn't allow my smile to falter and show that it was a fake. Kabuto needed to believe me.

"Okay. Keiko, come with me. We need to go prepare some medicine for this," He spoke before turning his gaze to the young Uchiha, "You remain here, Sasuke."

Sasuke gave a curt jerk of the head to signal that he understood his instructions. Kabuto sighed again and signaled for me to follow him. I took off behind him without so much as a second glance at Sasuke.

Kabuto led me through the corridors and into the kitchen. He walked straight to the counter and began to pull out different ingredients from one of the cabinets.

"Kabuto-san? What're we doing?" I asked quietly, coming to stand beside him.

He glanced across his shoulder at me briefly, "We're making medicine that will ease the pain Orochimaru-san will feel after taking over Sasuke's body. This is very important for you to learn so watch closely,"

"Hai!" I nodded and stepped a little closer, watching his movements.

Internally, I was a little pleased. I had successfully infiltrated Orochimaru's hideout and gained the trust of everyone within. Nobody here suspected that I was here for any reason other than to serve Lord Orochimaru. How could they? I had been here for so many years and never said no or failed any order given to me. They had no reason to ever suspect that I could have an alternate motive.

In fact, Orochimaru was so pleased with my dedication to him, he assigned Kabuto to train me in Medical ninjutsu in the off chance that something happened to Kabuto. I had agreed willingly to learning. Partially, it was to gain more trust from the team, but it was also simply because I knew the skills I was learning would come in handy in my future.

By agreeing to come here and bring Sasuke back, I had essentially agreed to a death sentence. There was no doubt in my mind that everybody expected me to fail and lose my life in the process. I was a little impressed with myself for making it as far as I had. However, I believe it is due to the very reason that Lady Hokage had picked me for this mission.

"_Keiko, only you can successfully pull this off. Your ability to read people's emotions and adapt accordingly is surely the only thing that can ever get you close to them."_

I knew that eventually, my strong perception of other people would surely pay off. I just never imagined that it would pay off in a way such as this.

"Now you take all of this and dissolve it into this glass of water," Kabuto muttered, adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose.

I watched as he folded the paper and poured its contents into a glass of water he had sitting between the two of us. He lifted the glass and swirled the contents a little, watching to see how well they dissolved.

"Hand me a spoon."

Immediately, I did as I was told and pulled a spoon out of the drawer to my right. I place it in Kabuto's waiting hand and watch as he stirs the remaining contents, successfully dissolving them. Once he stops stirring he turns to look at me.

"Do you understand how to make that now?" He asks dryly.

Kabuto never was a huge fan of the idea that I was learning to care for Orochimaru. It wasn't because he didn't think I was up to it, however. He'd openly complimented me on what a fast learner I was and how I seemed truly dedicated to this cause. No, his problem with me was the fact that he wanted to take care of Orochimaru and felt like he was being _demoted_.

"Hai."

He nodded at me and turned back to the counter, seemingly lost in his own thoughts. I took this momentary pause to think of a way to distract him further. Sasuke couldn't be done with his battle yet, so I was still in charge of keeping Kabuto away from the chambers.

"Kabuto-san?" I asked, turning my eyes away from him and keeping my tone light.

Kabuto never seemed comfortable around me if I didn't seem in a pleasant mood. Whenever my tone was darker or more serious, he instantly tensed and refused to answer me directly. He would always beat around the bush.

"Yes?"

I directed my eyes towards him again, "Is there anything else we need to make?"

Kabuto looked down at me, "No."

I took in a deep breath, "Before we return, may I ask one more question?"

"What is it?" He asked impatiently, placing the glass of medicine on a tray.

"How does Lord Orochimaru take over other people's body? How does the ceremony work?"

Kabuto turned to me and delved into a long explanation of how Orochimaru manages to transfer his soul into another, younger body, and how his soul remains strong and intact after so many transfers. I listen closely, but he doesn't get to talk for long.

_BOOM._

At the same time, Kabuto and I spun on our heels. There was no doubt that the sound came from Orochimaru's chambers. Without a second thought, Kabuto took off running. I chased after him, not really sure what to do anymore. The only thought that passed through my mind was that I had to protect Sasuke and keep his fight on track.

After a deep breath, I sprinted after Kabuto and dove on him from behind.

"KEIKO!"

"Kabuto-san," I gasped, pinning him to the ground, "It could be a trap."

He completely ignored my words and began to fight against me. I struggled to keep him pinned to the round and away from the battle, but he was quickly overcoming me. In an instant his hands glowed blue and he smacked me straight in the stomach. I coughed a few times, refusing to let go.

"You traitor!" Kabuto screamed at me, slamming his head into mine.

"Kabuto-san," I breathed, looking for an excuse as to why I could be doing this that he would believe.

"Don't you ever address me like tha-" Kabuto's words were cut off by a calm voice.

"Keiko."

I looked up to meet the dark onyx eyes of Sasuke. In an instant, Kabuto had thrown me off him and stood to face him.

"Which one are you?"

Sasuke's calm eyes turned to face Kabuto while I stood from the ground, "Which one do you think?"

In an instant, Kabuto was lost in a trance, staring into Sasuke's sharingan. I watched quietly as Kabuto began to tremble at whatever he saw.

After a few moments, Kabuto dropped to his knees, "H-how?"

Without a word, Sasuke turned his back and walked down the hall towards the exit of the hideout. Once halfway down the hall, he stopped and faced me, "Are you coming or am I killing you?"

"I'm coming,"

I jogged hastily to catch up with him. Once I was at his side, he began to walk towards the exit again, allowing me to follow a few steps behind him. I glanced over my shoulder at Kabuto, who was slumped over on the ground holding his head, and the open door to Orochimaru's chamber, where pieces of a large white snake along with Orochimaru's body laid covering the ground.

We walked silently for a few minutes, not stopping until we're a decent distance from the base. Sasuke turned to face me.

"What's so special about you?"

I stared at him blankly, "Sasuke-kun?"

"Why was Orochimaru interested in you?" He asks more directly.

"He wasn't. He never intended to do anything with me. I came to him on free will." I replied carefully.

Sasuke stared at me with his dark eyes, "Then why have you betrayed him and followed me?"

I met his gaze steadfastly. I knew he wouldn't believe me if I made up some sort of lie. So, I simply replied with the kind of vague answer I knew he was looking for, "Do my reasons really matter?"

His eyes didn't falter from mine. He looked over my form again, looking for any reason he could possibly find to leave me behind or to stop trusting me. He must've found none, because he turned and began walking again, allowing me to follow.

However, one thing still nagged at me, "Sasuke?" He turned to face me and I continued, "Why are you taking me with you?"

He turned away from me and continued walking as if I'd never asked a question in the first place.


End file.
